Hemodialysis Technician Training and Schools

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Hemodialysis technician training can help prepare you for an exciting career in the allied health care field. Hemodialysis techs are trained and certified to provide direct patient care and operate medical equipment that provides life-saving hemodialysis. In order to become a technician, you must first complete a hemodialysis technician training course and then pass the final exam. Once certified, you will be able to work as a technician in a medical clinic, hospital, or anywhere hemodialysis services are provided.

Hemodialysis Technician Job Growth

The future job outlook for hemodialysis technicians is very positive. Salaries for technicians are competitive and the training programs are shorter than many other career paths. Hemodialysis technician training will help you develop the knowledge and skills necessary to take advantage of the job growth in the upcoming period.

Hemodialysis Technician Training Overview

Before beginning a hemodialysis technician training program, most states requires students to have a high school diploma or completed the General Education Development (GED) test. Training programs focus on teaching students the kidney function, principles of hemodialysis, and relevant laboratory procedures. Of course, like any health care or medical related occupation, students will learn basic human biology and anatomy, as well as develop a vocabulary using medical terminology. Hemodialysis technician training also teaches students how to operate and maintain hemodialysis equipment.

What is Hemodialysis?

The purpose of kidney in the human body is to filter waste and excess water from the blood. When a patient experience kidney (renal) failure, the kidney can no longer filter the blood efficiently. That is when the patient needs hemodialysis treatment. Hemodialysis, sometimes referred to as dialysis or renal dialysis, is the process of artificially filtering the blood by using equipment.

Operating a Hemodialysis Machine

The hemodialysis machine essentially replaces the function of the human kidney. Without it, the waste and fluid would build up in the bloodstream and can cause the kidney to fail. Without a kidney transplant or hemodialysis, kidney failure can be fatal.

Hemodialysis technician training will teach students how to operate this machine. The technician first connects an incoming tube to the patient, usually through a main artery in the arm. Blood then flows from the patient into the machine, where it is filtered in the “dialyzer.” Filtration is specific to each patient and sometimes the dialyzer is reused for the same patient. Once the blood is filtered, it is returned back into the patient via a second tube. The frequency which a patient receive hemodialysis varies based on their individual condition.

Hemodialysis Technician Salary

Hemodialysis technician salary rates vary across the United States. The two major factors that affect salary are demand and cost of living. According to Indeed.com, one of the largest online job sites, the average annual salary for a certified hemodialysis technician was $46,000 or about $23/hour in 2013.